Memories

Today is St. Patrick's Day, the holiday which celebrates not only the saint but the country to which he ministered, Ireland. Ireland is known as the emerald isle because of the rich green of its hills. And, though I've never set foot in Ireland, that is how I remember it from nearly 50 years ago when the ship on which I was a passenger anchored briefly in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. After a dark, storm-tossed night I went on deck in the early morning. Under the black clouds the luminous green hills outside Cobh shimmered in the rain-washed sunlight. The green was so bright the hills seemed lit from within. For me, St Patrick's day and its association with Ireland always calls to mind that picture.

I don't have a photo of those hills so you will have to be satisfied with a shot of me on the deck, smiling at you across a gap of 46 years. That's the Atlantic Ocean there in the background. In those days, only the rich flew. Anyone else who wanted to travel abroad went by ship. It now seems unbelievably inexpensive. The first time I went to Europe (1961), the one-week passage from Canada to the UK cost about $225. And Europe was cheap too. The best-selling travel book at that time was Arthur Frommer's "Europe on $5 A Day" and my brother and I traveled using this guide for five months, covering most of Europe between Oslo and Gibraltar. This book is currently published as "Europe on $50 a day."

Happy St. Patrick's day to everyone who visits this blog.